The new post-Brexit UK blue passport will be delivered by manufacturer Gemalto. HM Passport Office says it will be the world’s first carbon neutral passport. It will include a complete redesign of the inside pages with the latest in secure technologies to keep ahead of forgers and fakers, the Home Office says.
The 11 and a half year, £260m contract will deliver significant savings compared to the £400m contract awarded in 2009, and provide value for money to the taxpayer, the Government says.
Mark Thomson, Director General for HM Passport Office, said: “I look forward to working with Gemalto to continue to deliver a world-class service to British nationals around the world, and keep the UK passport as a global leader of document security. This passport contract will further extend Gemalto’s presence in the UK, where it has operated for the last 25 years, and will add approximately 70 jobs to its existing British workforce.”
In March the current contractor De La Rue said it would consider its options; it announced it will not appeal against HMPO’s decision on the UK passport tender. De La Rue said it will continue to fulfil its contract to July 2019 and assist with transition to the new supplier and is expecting no impact on its Group’s performance in the next 18 months.
